this post was submitted on 03 Sep 2024
43 points (95.7% liked)

Ask Science

8644 readers
2 users here now

Ask a science question, get a science answer.


Community Rules


Rule 1: Be respectful and inclusive.Treat others with respect, and maintain a positive atmosphere.


Rule 2: No harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or trolling.Avoid any form of harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or offensive behavior.


Rule 3: Engage in constructive discussions.Contribute to meaningful and constructive discussions that enhance scientific understanding.


Rule 4: No AI-generated answers.Strictly prohibit the use of AI-generated answers. Providing answers generated by AI systems is not allowed and may result in a ban.


Rule 5: Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.Adhere to community guidelines and comply with instructions given by moderators.


Rule 6: Use appropriate language and tone.Communicate using suitable language and maintain a professional and respectful tone.


Rule 7: Report violations.Report any violations of the community rules to the moderators for appropriate action.


Rule 8: Foster a continuous learning environment.Encourage a continuous learning environment where members can share knowledge and engage in scientific discussions.


Rule 9: Source required for answers.Provide credible sources for answers. Failure to include a source may result in the removal of the answer to ensure information reliability.


By adhering to these rules, we create a welcoming and informative environment where science-related questions receive accurate and credible answers. Thank you for your cooperation in making the Ask Science community a valuable resource for scientific knowledge.

We retain the discretion to modify the rules as we deem necessary.


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

In other words, is there any individual cell that can decide between two or more options, or all they all solely chemical and mechanical reactions without any self-determination at all?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Senshi@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago (2 children)

"self-Determination" and "decision-making" are conscious, complex processes. A single cell is incapable of that.

On the other hand, how do we as humans form decisions? We use sensory input from various organs, process those by combining with existing knowledge/memories and form decisions based on that. But in the end, it's still all based on "chemical and mechanical reactions".

You quickly get into philosophical territory there: is our conscious self more than the sum of all the processes in our brain? Is there some extra "spark" that allows true self-determination, or are all our decisions a given result of the exact state of our brain and body?

[–] ContrarianTrail@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I think that the illusion of free will is based on the fact that we're conscious and thus have preferences and since decisions naturally tend to align with said preferences it then feels like we're in control. However, nobody chose their likes and not-likes.

I think Brian Greene put it nicely; we don't have free will but we have the experience of freedom

[–] Kwiila@slrpnk.net 1 points 2 months ago

I think you're projecting consciousness onto those terms more than you need to. An algorithm is a decision-making process devoid of consciousness (as far as we know). AI is capable of self-determination in as far as it's capable of acting without reacting, or without total dependence on input. We just need our self-determination and decision-making to be special, so we present them as functions of our consciousness.

And a curse on any philosopher that tries to define consciousness as some variation of "that thing that makes human special", any work they build on that is doomed.